The FINANCIAL — One of the greatest challenges facing healthcare, and society in general, is developing new treatments and solutions for our ageing population.
According to Aston University, in fact, this is of such importance that 2012 has been designated as the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. As people live longer, the impact on every area of human existence is huge.
The challenge for politicians and stakeholders is to improve opportunities for active ageing in general and for living independently, acting in areas as diverse as employment, health care, social services, adult learning, volunteering, housing, IT services or transport. One of the areas of concern currently being explored by researchers at the Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing at Aston University how best to tackle falls, fractures and mobility in an ageing population.
In later life our bodies ability to repair and regenerate significant reduces and tissues in elderly people are particularly slow to heal due to a lack of active cells. Bones are less likely to heal in older adults due to this reduced cellular activity; they are therefore more likely to require surgical intervention. Effective implant biomaterials can significantly improve the quality of life of elderly patients in later years though reduced hospital stays, increased mobility and independence.
ARCHA researchers are looking at ways of developing and optimising bioactive implants that can help bones heal and regenerate.
The team is also looking at ways of reducing the probability of acquiring surgical site infections, such as MRSA, which can sometimes occur during surgery. A range of antimicrobial elements are being incorporated into these bioactive glasses and their properties are being tested against a series of clinically relevant microbes such as MRSA.
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